Monday, August 4, 2014

Lesson In Patience, Love, Kindness, & Strength

After an Amazing 5 week vacation with Pops, Yamma, Aunts, Uncles, & Cousins we made it back home only to get sick. We have been very healthy since moving to Colorado with only an occasional cold unlike in Utah when it seemed like one of our kids was always sick, many times really sick. I really do feel blessed for our health but this last week really got to me. 

Things started out with Chloe not feeling well and coughing through the night. As a mom I am always listening during the night but even more so when I know my kids are not feeling well. The sleep deprivation begins. Next Zander starts the cough. During the day their coughs are not as bad but once night comes I am doing all I can to try and keep them comfortable. At this point I have been trying Vick's, the nebulizer, steamy bathrooms, patting their backs, & sitting up with them during the night to lesson the coughs. Six days into it I had posted on Face book for any other ideas that might help. One of my Sweet friends brought over some essential oils to try along with a diffuser, at this point I was willing to try anything because I was getting really tired. 

Day  9 came and Parker started throwing up, Chloe was feeling a bit better, Zander was getting worse but I didn't have that feeling of needing to go to the doctor. The night before Tyson was complaining of his ear hurting so I put a compress on and hoped it would feel better. When he woke up he said it did. After he had been playing outside he came in saying his eye hurt and as soon as I saw him I just knew it was pink eye, ughhhhhhhh. Luckily we still had the eye drops needed and I started them right away. I needed to get out of the house and since Chloe was feeling better we went on a bike ride and it was definitely needed. Side note, Chloe rode her bike 3 miles and was AMAZING! 

As day 10 came Chloe was feeling much better and I only remember her coughing once during the night. Tyson and Zander on the other hand coughing all night long each with their own specific cough. I remember going in to their rooms several times to put more oils on and with Zander I continued to hold him upright much of the night. As I was talking on the phone about the situation feeling completely wiped out and delirious I figured out I had really only had 12 hours of sleep during the last 10 days. Yes I had drifted off while holding zander on the couch or next to me on the bed but I would not say I was really sleeping. 

As I went to bed Friday night, day 10, I laid in bed listening to my boys coughing and wanting to cry but not being able to because of how tired I was. I started really getting down on myself for the situation I was in. I kept thinking why me and a little pity party in my brain began. I kept thinking to myself that I had done & am currently doing everything that I know how to do besides going to the doctor which I still didn't feel like it was needed. After about 10 minutes of this inner voice I realized that yes my kids were sick, yes I was extremely tired, yes I was quickly loosing patience with my kids and myself but in the long run this is just a short period of time. I then asked my Heavenly Father for help and I instantly started remembering my blessings. I wish I would have written this that night but I will do my best to put down all that came to mind.

I am grateful to not have children with chronic health conditions. We have a home, 2 cars, bikes if we needed to use them for transportation & tubes for our bikes if needed. Steve has a great job that provides for our family and allows me to stay home with our wonderful kids. I have a husband that is also putting in several hours every day going to school to better our family. We have everything that we need plus sometimes a little extra. We have great friends which is so important when living away from family. We have amazing family to rely on. Most of all I have a strong testiomony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Having faith in my Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ has helped me through so many situations in life and will continue to help me as long as I ask. 

As I am typing, it is early morning day 13 and I have stopped 3 times to take care of my sweet kids I just keep thinking that this is my calling in life right now & I am lucky to have it. I am here to take care of my children in any way that I can. If I need extra strength I can rely on my Heavenly Father and He will give it to me. I am so grateful to have 4 wonderful sweet kids that are true gifts from God. I am blessed to have prayers answered when I need them, answered prayers are such sweet mercies and I'm not sure what I would do without them

I Love being a mom and would not trade it for all the lost sleep in the world. As I go about the next days while my kids are getting better I pray for patience, love, kindness, & strength to continue do what is needed for them.